1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a connector.
2. Description of the Related Art
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-5135 discloses a connector that has a housing and a seal ring. The housing is formed integrally of a housing body and a fit-on tube. The housing body accommodates female terminal fittings and the fit-on tube surrounds the periphery of the housing body. A hood of a mating housing can be fit between the housing body and the fit-on tube. The seal ring closely contacts the housing body and the hood to achieve liquid-tight sealing.
The seal ring is compressed between the peripheral surface of the housing body and the inner peripheral surface of the hood in a direction intersecting the direction in which the housings are fit together. The seal ring also is compressed between a step of the housing body and the front end of the hood in the fit-on direction. The compressed seal ring exerts restoring forces in directions to separate the housings from each other. Accordingly, the housings must be restrained from loosening in the direction in which the housings are fit together so that the terminal fittings accommodated in the housings are not worn by sliding contact therebetween.
A long contact length between mating terminal fittings is advantageous. The above-described Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-5135 achieves stable connection between terminal fittings. However, the restoring elasticity of the seal ring urges the housings in separating directions and decreases the length of the contact portion of the female terminal fitting. Accordingly, the above-described conventional construction makes it difficult to secure an effective contact length.
The invention has been completed based on the above-described situation. It is an object of the invention to secure an effective contact length of a terminal fitting while also preventing housings from loosening.